Posted this on another forum and thought it was approriate here too.

Today, I stopped into two different local retailers (Wally World & Radio Shack) browsing to see if they have any of the ATSC OTA Digital to Analog converter boxes on the shelf or to find out if they planned to stock them. Neither had any, but their responses to my inquiries were quite revealing. Both store department managers asked "may I help you"? I said sure. I'm looking for the D to A TV set top converter box and wanted to know if they had any.

First, Wally World's response:
No, said the Dept Mgr. Why would you want that? Because I want one, I said. No need for that yet, said the MGR. You won't need that until 2009. I asked him why they hadn't started stocking the DtoA TV converter boxes for redemption of the Gov't coupons. Didn't get a straight answer, but "we don't have them and don't plan to stock them to my knowledge anytime soon. You might want to try one of the local high-end retailers like Radio Shack." [Chuckle-Chuckle-Chuckle under my breath] This guy thinks that RS is a high-end retailer? So on to RS I went. Nothing surprising here, was there? Apparently Wally World thinks the public doesn't want them yet.

And now RS:
Went in and asked the same question - got any DtoA TV converter settop boxes? The guy (who turned out to be the store manager) got quite testy in his tone of voice. "You don't need that now" was his response and he didn't have any, nor did he plan to have any until about January 2009, just prior to the cutoff of analog TV. This guy got rather PO'd in his tone of voice about the Gov't holding a gun to the head of the broadcasters, TV manufacturers and retail stores about having to do the conversion of Analog TV to Digital. I wasn't testy in my responses or questions, but his sometimes angry responses shocked me. He asked me "why do you want it now, you don't need it for another year?" I said because although I already own a HDTV with integrated tuner and receive free OTA HDTV, I have several analog TV's that can't pickup the other digital channels that you can't receive on analog. (Wellllllll, Duhhhhhh!) I literally could see the lightbulb go on over his head as he realized there is value NOW in stocking the DtoA TV STB. I asked him if he could get the DtoA converter boxes now, and he said no, their distributors don't yet have them. He did tell me that once I get my Gov't coupon to redeem to come in and he'll see if he can order the boxes.

This is just a small sampling of the episode of the DtoA TV STBs. The retailers apparently don't want to stock them because they think the public doesn't want it yet and don't think they need to stock any for another year. They're WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Are you listening retailers?????????????????????
Are you listening manufacturers?????????????????????
Are you listening FCC?????????????????????

Frustration is building. This has been a very poorly managed transition. Don't know to whom we can complain, but if pressure is placed upon the retailers by the CONSUMERS (that's US folks), it likely won't get any better. So I suggest that anyone wanting one of the STB's start hounding your retailers. When demand is realized in a free economy such as ours, it is usually met.

Start hounding, folks!

Even well informed persons at the store level know little of things down the road done at higher levels in their chains. Until it shows up in their inventory systems they're clueless.

The RS store manager had a very bad attitude about the transition and he appeared to know about it. He just didn't realize there was actually INTEREST in the converter box from the consumer.

Both RS and WalMart put out Press Releases in December that they will stock the converters. RS said it may be May before they start because their POS software needs to be updated to handle the coupons. Not surprising the locals have no idea until the boxes show up on their loading docks.

Dude - you do realize that they aren't due into the stores until the later part of Febuary ? I mean - even the PSAs on the broadcast TV stations aren't REQUIRED until Febuary 18 (although a number of stations have already started with them) ?

I'm not going to worry about it until
A - I have my coupons in hand, and
B - I'm NOT seeing any boxes in the stores.

My area seems to be pretty well informed about this - I would be extremely surprised if they won't be available by late April / early May.

... even the PSAs on the broadcast TV stations aren't REQUIRED until Febuary 18 (although a number of stations have already started with them) ... I've been seeing the PSA's on my local network affiliates. What's laughable is they contain very little real info. In fact most of them refer the viewer to a WEBSITE for details! :eek:

The sad thing is that the poeple that really need to understand this fairly simple switch-over (from the end-users point of view) are the folks that do not even have access to, or knowledge of, a computer or the web.

Avio

Dude - you do realize that they aren't due into the stores until the later part of Febuary ? I mean - even the PSAs on the broadcast TV stations aren't REQUIRED until Febuary 18 (although a number of stations have already started with them) ?

I'm not going to worry about it until
A - I have my coupons in hand, and
B - I'm NOT seeing any boxes in the stores.

My area seems to be pretty well informed about this - I would be extremely surprised if they won't be available by late April / early May.

Dude - yes I Did know that. I knew they wouldn't have them but wanted to gauge their interest and show them that I DID want one. The RS guy's angry answer surprised me, though. He thought no-one wanted the things until they actually NEEDED them. He told me he that he had no intention of stocking them, and the impression I got was that the was so offended by the forced transition that this was his way of getting back at the Gov't.

I've been seeing the PSA's on my local network affiliates. What's laughable is they contain very little real info. In fact most of them refer the viewer to a WEBSITE for details! :eek:

Guess you didn't watch the whole thing. The phone number is up during the whole last part of the spot, 1-888-DTV-2009.

Guess you didn't watch the whole thing. The phone number is up during the whole last part of the spot, 1-888-DTV-2009.Ok; good point...

but the spots still provide practically no info on what DTV is and why viewers would even want it.

Avio

I'm not going to worry about it until
A - I have my coupons in hand, and
B - I'm NOT seeing any boxes in the stores.


You got that right. No point getting all excited if the local B&M's are clueless or don't carry the box. Just shop online where the selection will be better than the local B&M's.

That's a very good point - I would much prefer online if at all possible... hate dealing with crowds and uninformed sales staff who have attitudes that resemble "we're doing you a favor"...

Also WRAL has had the consumer POC reporter / editor do a segment for the news that covered the whole thing very nicely. Covering who needs one, what they are, contacts for the coupons (and that they will exist), and in general dispelling FUD about the transition. Now there WILL be the procastinators that the news stories will have on 19 Feb 2009... but we all know what to say to them :D